A private hearing set for Mariners’ Milton Bradley and his wife

Originally published February 11, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Updated February 11, 2011 at 10:58 pm

If differences resolved, and no threats exist, then criminal charges could be dropped

The lawyer for Milton Bradley says he’s advised his client not to discuss with the media any details of his arrest last month nor the state of his marriage.

Harland Braun, representing Bradley in his criminal case, said in a statement released Friday that both police and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office found “no basis to file charges” against his client for threatening his wife. But told of Braun’s statement, city attorney’s office spokesman Frank Mateljan said it’s “a rosy way to look at things” and not exactly what’s happened.

Mateljan noted that the city attorney’s office can still bring charges against Bradley up to a year after the initial complaint was made. The office has opted, for now, to hold a private hearing March 9 with Bradley and his wife, Monique, in an attempt to resolve their differences without going to criminal court.

Such a meeting is commonly used in domestic disputes when both sides appear willing to cooperate and move past the initial incident. As long as authorities are convinced that Bradley and his wife can move forward — and that he poses no threat to her — then his criminal case will lie dormant.

But if “new information” emerges either at the meeting or in the months ahead that raises doubts about the arrangement, Mateljan says Bradley could indeed be arraigned on the initial complaint.

Braun said he’s advised Bradley not to speak about his relationship, other than with a marriage counselor or at the meeting next month. Braun said he understood the purpose of the meeting to be to “make sure that this type of misunderstanding does not occur again.”